Dear General Smith

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04007A001100040011-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: February 19, 1952
• Content Type: LETTER

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7:ebruary 19, 1952
Coneral Wallor B. 'ird.th
DtrecLuv
Central Intellimnec Agency
'Jashinc;ten, D. C.
Dear eneral
*DOJ Declassification/Release
Decision on File*
Thia ia in reference to the Presidentle letter of September 25,
1951) to Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, advising that
he had directed the National Security Council through its Interdepart-
mental Committee on Internal Security to provide advice and assistance
to the Departments and Agencies in connection with Executive Order
10290.
Pursuant to instructions, the ICIS has established a Subcommittee
concerned exclusively with Executive Order 10290. The attached sheet
gives a digest of the Terms of Reference of this Subcommittee, its
membership) and the name and address of the Executive Secretary. The
Subcommittee, at its first meeting on January 16 directed the Execu-
tive Secretary to canvass the Departments and Agencies to determine
the status of the various activities required in carrying out the
Executive Order.
Recognizing the problems of certain Departments and agencies,
the Subcommittee will arrange for assistance in connection with the
preparation of agency regulations under Executive Order 10290.. Accord-
ingly) the Security representatives of the Department of State, the
Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission have indicated
that those. agencies would make staff members available for consultation
with the representatives of any Departments or agencies desiring assis-
tance. Requeats for such assistance may be maae directly with the
Security representatives of the State, Defense and AEC, or through the
Executive Secretary of the Subcommittee:
The Subcommittee is hereby requesting from each Executive Depart-
ment or Agency receiving the President's letter a report of the statue
of the work of bringing the agency procedures into accord with the
Executive Order. If new or revised regulations are being prepared we
would like to be advised as to when the drafts might be ready for review
for conformance with E.O. 10290. We are also interested in the statue
of your plans or programs for training and inspection as required by
the Order.
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Attention is called to those provisions of the Executive Order
and the references in the President's letter which emphaaise that
security classifications set forth in the Order apply only to infor-
mation the safeguarding of which is necessary in the interest of
national security. While many agencies may have little or no occasion
to so classify documents, the fact that work contributing directly
to the national defense in now so widely spread throughout the struc-
ture of the government makes it necessary that any agency which may
handle classified material be prepared to carry out effectively the
terms of the Executive Order.
The effectiveness of the safeguards for security information as
defined in the Order is impaired by the assignment of security classi-
fications to information which should not be so classified. It is
therefore of great importance that the delegations of authority to
classify security information be specific and clearly defined. in
those agencies Which originate and handle little or no classified
security information, the problem posed by Executive Order 10290
should be considerably simplified by a very limited delegation of the
authority to classify, or, as has been done in at leant one agency,.
limiting the authority to classify security information to the head
of the agency.
Both the Executive Order and the President's letter emphasize
the importance of the proper delegation of authority and assignments of
reaponoibility in connection with the security regulations. The Sub-
committee considers this a matter of the utmost importance in the con-
trol of information involving the national security. We would like
to be advised at the earliest practicable date of the name of the
official or officials having department or agency-wide responsibility
for the rAminiatration of Executive Order 10290. This does not refer
to the security or public information representatives serving in a
staff capacity or directing specific phases of the program,. but to the
senior executives having overall responsibility, either for the entire
agency or for a major subordinate element thereof.
In addition, in order to insure proper handling of matters which
may affect your agency, we should like to be advised immediately of
the member of your staff to whose attention communications dealing with
this Executive Order should be addressed.
It is requested that a statun report or copies of draft regula-
tiono, if they are ready, be forwarded to the Executive Secretary,
Subcommittee on Executive Order 10290, Boom 3318, Department of justice
Building, at your earliest convenience.
For the Sub committee,
?e. ) le
,
,
'Edward R. Trapnell
Executive Secreta
ICIS Subcommittee on Executive Order 10290
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ICIS SUBC0i a a ON woman ORM 10290
Background
E.O. 10290, dated September 240 1951, prescribed Regulations Ebtablishieg
Minimum standards for the Classification, Trannmission? and handling by
Departments and Agencies of the Executive Branch, of Official Information Which
Requires Safeguarding in the interest of the Security of the Uhited States.
Purauant to instructions of the President to the National Security Council,
as indicated in the President ,s letter of September 25 to Heads of EXecutive
Departments and Agencies, the NSC Interdepartmental Committee on Internal Security
created a special Subcommittee on E.O. 10290 to "furnish advice and assistance
to the Depaxteents and Agencies in connection with these regulations and to
maintain continuing review of the claneification activities in every department
or agency to insure uniform and proper application of these regulations, incleaing
declassification whenever possible." Terme of Reference for the Subcommittee
were approved by the IeIS on November 19 1951.
Digest of. Terme of Reference
The ICIS Subcoemittee on E00.. 10290 is composed of one public information
and one security representative of the Departments of State,- Treasury, Defence
and. Justice, with a fuel-time Executive Becretarye Reprenentativeo of other
agencies well participate as required in handling matters affecting other
agencies.
The Subcommittee is to furnish advice and assistance to Executive 'Departments
and Agencies and maintain continuing review of activities in each agency to insure
proper application of the Executive Order.
The Sdbeommittee will review and advise as to adequacy and conformance with
E.O. 10290 the internal regulations adopted by Departments and Agencies to im-
plement the Executive Order; maintain lists of individuals in each Department
and Agency having responsibility for administration of such regulations? and
require each department or agency to report periodically on ministration of the
Executive Order,,
The Subcommittee is to innure that each department or agency esteblishea
an inspectional. system? an educational program nna effective procedures for
carrying out, the purposes of the Order.
. The Subcammittee will also recommend to ICIS any additional measures cone
sidered necessary to effective administration of the order, including suggestions
from non-government sources.
EXecutive Secretary: Edward Ro Trapnell
Roam 1318, Department of Justice
Code 197 (RE 6200), Ext. 223
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